Sixteen North Texas public servants were honored Wednesday Sept. 11, by Governor Greg Abbott with a ‘Star of Texas’ award.
The award commemorates those who made immeasurable commitments while performing their duties. The awards were forged in 2003 by House Bill 1937 to honor and commemorate those who made “profound commitments while performing their duties” as officers, firefighters, and emergency medical first responders.
“Today, we honor these heroes for their service and their sacrifice. They all faced immense challenges, but in the face of those challenges, they responded like heroes,” said Gov. Abbott.
The governor also met with the recipients at the ceremony, along with the families of those who died in the line of duty.
“I want to thank all of the peace officers, firefighters, emergency responders across our entire state. I want to thank you for your constant courage. I want to thank you for your sacrifice that you make every day to keep Texas safe,” he added.
“This past year has undoubtedly tested our resilience, but the Texas spirit remains stronger than ever, and that is in part due to the incredible work of the men and women in uniform serving their communities,” said Gov. Abbott.
Before the ceremony commenced, Gov. Abbott acknowledged the 18th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks in New York saying, “we will always remember.”
“To all the men and women who protect and serve, thank you for being the light of justice and peace in our communities. You are the shield that stands between danger and the people of Texas, and you have our deepest respect and unwavering support,” he expressed to all.
The 2019 recipients of the Star of Texas Awards are:
Fire Fighters Killed in the Line of Duty
- Daniel Edward Hampton – Burnet Fire Department
- Larry Grant Dalton – Dallas Fire-Rescue Department
- Marco Antonio Davila – Dallas Fire-Rescue Department
- Jeffery Lee Delbert – Dallas Fire-Rescue Department
- Charlie Jaimes – Dallas Fire-Rescue Department
- Thomas M. Johnson – Dallas Fire-Rescue Department
- Scott Deem – San Antonio Fire Department
Peace Officers Killed in the Line of Duty
- Earl J. Givens, III – Dallas Police Department
- Garrett W. Hull – Fort Worth Police Department
- Albert Castaneda, Jr. – Grand Prairie Police Department
- Nathan Hayden Heidelberg – Midland Police Department
- Raymond Bradley Jimmerson – Nacogdoches County Sheriff’s Office
- Mark Allen Cox – Real County Sheriff’s Office
- Korby Lee Kennedy – San Angelo Police Department
- Moises Sanchez – Texas Department of Public Safety
- David Jones Fitzpatrick – The Colony Police Department
- Timothy Gerard Olsovsky – Victoria County Sheriff’s Office
- Donna Doss – U.S. Customs And Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol
- Norman Merkel – U.S. Department Of Justice, U.S. Marshals Service
- Loren Y. Vasquez – Waller County Sheriff’s Office
- Lonnie Verdell Burton – Wayland Baptist University Police Department
- Alejandro “Alex” Martinez – Willacy County Sheriff’s Office
- Jason Matthew Fann – Yoakum County Sheriff’s Office
Emergency Medical First Responders Seriously Injured in the Line of Duty
- Steven Ray Holden – U.S. Army
Fire Fighters Seriously Injured in the Line of Duty
- Brad Jay Phipps – San Antonio Fire Department
Peace Officers Seriously Injured in the Line of Duty
- Christopher S. Fegley – Arlington Police Department
- Alejandro “Alex” Quintanilla – Arlington Police Department
- Derek Baroody – Austin Police Department
- Luis E. Farias – City of Benavides Police Department
- Justin Todd Ellis – Dallas Area Rapid Transit Police Department
- Troy Lee Allison – Dallas Police Department
- Brannon Germald Barber – Dallas Police Department
- Javier Leyva – Ector County Sheriff’s Office
- Steven John McNeill – Ector County Sheriff’s Office
- Joshua Devin Pool – Ector County Sheriff’s Office
- Ricardo Rodriguez – Ector County Sheriff’s Office
- Cody Smith – Ector County Sheriff’s Office
- Calvin Gustav Lehmann – Fayette County Sheriff’s Department
- Christopher Gaines – Harris County Constable Precinct 4
- John Daily – Houston Police Department
- Luis Fuhlbrigge – Houston Police Department
- Nestor Garcia – Houston Police Department
- Alonzo Reid – Houston Police Department
- Matthew Victor Richard – Houston Police Department
- Elie Weston Van Horn – Port Arthur Police Department
- Claudia Ivette Cormier – San Marcos Police Department
- Justin Ray Holt – Silsbee Police Department
- Wesley C. Hensley – Texas Attorney General’s Office
- Travares L. Webb – Texas Department of Public Safety
- Henry Jennings Gilles – Trinity County Sheriff’s Office
